


Side B

by ShinyKipp



Series: Like a Record, Baby [2]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Canon Trans Character, F/M, Light Dom/sub, Post-Canon, Rough Oral Sex, They have fun, Vaginal Fingering, god u guys they're so in love, lup isnt very good at chess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2019-02-14 13:53:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13009221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShinyKipp/pseuds/ShinyKipp
Summary: The way Lup takes him to the hilt makes his breath catch, and his hands tighten in her hair. It's good, it'sso good.Barry thinks that maybe waiting this long wasn't a bad thing, after all.





	Side B

**Author's Note:**

> As usual, massive thanks to Mango for beta-ing this! You can find her awesome stuff @malevolentmango here on AO3. 
> 
> Rumi (@lividsilk) was also a dear through this process. 
> 
> (Lup is socially & physically transitioned in this one)
> 
> Enjoy the smut!

Barry and Taako started crawling the walls about an hour ago. Barry tried talking with his brother-in-law at first, engaging Taako in a discussion about magical formulae that stayed interesting for about forty-five minutes before they both just could not ignore how _bored_ they were. Now, they lounge on the couch, wordlessly staring at the ceiling.

“Check,” Kravitz says, gently placing his knight in formation.

Lup stays quiet, staring at the board with one hand curled under her chin and over her mouth. The other taps on the table next to the board, fingers striking rhythmically against the wood. “Ahh, crud,” she grumbles and moves the king.

Kravitz smiles and slips a pawn into the back row. “A second queen, please.”

“I want another rematch,” Lup tries to say, but Barry crosses the room to plant his hands on the side of the table in an instant.  
  
_“No,_ Lup, please, I can’t do this anymore.” His voice comes out strained, and Taako comes over to throw his arms over Kravitz’s shoulders.

“My dear friends, my darling and my heart, you’re going to kill me if you play again. I am going to die.”

Barry looks at Taako with a serious nod, and he whisper-hisses to Lup: “It’s been five hours. We were just going to have lunch. How the hell can you play chess for five hours?”

Lup sits up straighter and contradicts him at a normal volume. “No, I know I can beat him! I know I can!”

“Lup, he’s Death. You can’t beat Death at chess!”

“You don’t know that!”

“There’s an entire TV Tropes page about it,” Taako chimes in, and Barry feels himself flush as he slaps his hands over his face with a disgruntled noise.

“One more game.” Lup leans over the table. “One more game, reaper man, then we’ll call it.”

Barry sees Kravitz look up at him, and he throws up his hands in response. Lup doesn’t acknowledge her husband’s frustration, instead keeping her fiery stare directed at Kravitz. Taako jumps in with a tsking noise and a wagging finger in Lup’s direction, and Barry watches Taako’s attempt while he contemplates phasing right out of his body.

“Kravitz, sweetie,” Taako purrs, his hand sliding up Kravitz’s arm. “Lunch was lovely, even if eggs benedict is a brunch food.” His voice lilts out with a shade of serious disappointment and he levels a gaze at Lup. “And watching you and Lup play your little matches was thrilling for the first two games.” He leans in, lips close to Kravitz's ear, and Taako plays his trump card: “But, listen, how about we head home now?” Kravitz sits up a little straighter, and Barry chuckles. Ah, young love.

Lup reaches across the table and tries to shoo Taako away. “Stop trying to seduce your boyfriend out of getting his tailbone handed to him!” Taako bats her own hand with his, and the two swat at each other.

“No.” Taako sticks out his tongue. Lup opens her mouth to keep the banter up as they slap each other on the wrists, but Kravitz raises a hand.

“I think Taako is right-”

“-of course I’m right.” He wacks Lup’s hand one last time for good measure before draping himself around Kravitz.

“-and we should end our games here, Lup. I’m having a very nice time, but this was supposed to be one game after lunch. I think Barry and Taako have been patient enough.”

Her ears droop, but she relents. “Okay, skeleman. But I’m gonna be thinking about your strategies, and next time we sit down? Next time we sit down I’m gonna blow your mind with my sick reads.” She spreads her fingers at him. “Get ready to get beaten at chess, Death.”

Kravitz smiles softly and stands from the table while Taako slides away and puts a finger below his eye, tugging the lid down and blowing a raspberry at his sister. Kravitz adjusts his sleeves and jacket, then addresses her. “I doubt that very much, but I am rooting for you. Maybe a promotion will be in order if you can manage a victory.”

“You bastard,” she murmurs, but there’s no heat in the words.

Barry swoops back over the instant Kravitz stands and drops any semblance of tact as he speaks: “Okay, great, I love you guys, get out of my house.”

“Where are your manners, Barold?” Taako mocks offense, pressing a hand to his chest and looping his other arm around Kravitz’s elbow.

“They left about three and a half hours ago,” Barry deadpans.

Taako makes a deeply wounded noise, but Kravitz offers an empathetic nod. “Alright then, we will see you two soon.”

Lup gives him a double thumbs up. “Next time RQ calls us in, plan for a few hours afterwards, kay?”

“Later, Lu,” Taako chimes, leading his boyfriend towards the door. “Bye, Barold.”

Barry walks behind them to the door, a hand hovering just slightly over the small of Taako’s back. “This was fun, hope to see you soon, thanks for helping with the dishes, _goodbye_.”

He closes the door behind them with a huff and pushes a hand through his hair. They would rip into him later for being so curt, but that was a problem for future Barry.

Current Barry sighs with relief and relaxes his shoulders. _Finally_ some alone time, he has so many spells to work on—

—but Lup’s kissing him before his hand leaves the lock, and he throws his hands up again, frustrated, before putting them on her shoulders. “Wait, wait.” He pushes her away and looks up at her. “No, Lup, I actually have things to do. I waited while you played. Now it’s your turn.”

Her ears droop and she drapes her arms over his shoulders. “Alright,” she drawls and steps away. “You can go and do your spooky magic work.”

Barry feels his eyes narrow. There was no way the woman who just spent five _entire_ hours losing at chess to the Grim Reaper was backing off this easily.

“Okay,” he says, skeptical, when Lup doesn’t follow up. “I’m—I’m going to go upstairs, then.”

He starts up the wooden stairs, a hand resting on the bannister as he leaves the parlor room and attached kitchen behind.

“Great!” Lup chimes and falls neatly into step behind him.

Ah.

That’s the game she wants to play.

Barry walks into his office. Lup passes him, slides the long curtains on the windows closed, and tosses herself haphazardly onto the aesthetic and well-coordinated round rug in the middle of the room.

Pulling out his chair from his heavy mahogany desk, Barry takes a seat and pulls a pen from the little denim-covered can Lup gifted him several months prior.

As soon as he’s situated, she walks over to him and climbs with practiced ease into his lap. Legs dangling gently at his sides, she leans forward and rests her head on his shoulder.

Barry hums. She’s warm, and he uses his left hand to brush her hair to the side while flipping open his spellbook with his right. They discovered a lifetime ago how smoothly they fit together like this, and Barry lets the familiar comfort surround him as he starts writing. Being adopted as a ward of the Raven Queen gave him new insights, and he’d found some really awesome spells in the Eternal Stockade that he wanted access to.

Lup lets him work for about an hour and a half, and he wonders if she’s managed to doze off when she sighs into his ear. “I love you, Barry. Thanks for hanging out while I played chess for five hours.”

He smiles and keeps making notes on the spell. He’s got the words down, now he just needs to tailor it to himself. His free hand traces circles on her back. “I love you too, Lup.” He chuckles and teases her: “Even though you made me watch you suck at chess for five hours.”

She pulls back, eyes glinting, and extracts herself from his lap before rising to her feet. “Rude, Barry.” She bops him on the nose and looks down, brows furrowing. “Hey, I think you dropped something,” she says, eyes focused on something under the desk. “Hold on.”

Barry pulls out his chair, distracted by the sharp turn, and he follows Lup’s eyes to the ground under his desk. His quick scan of the dark wood flooring picks up nothing besides a hair clip and a marble from an old game with Angus.

Lup bends down, though, falling onto her hands and knees. She reaches under the desk, crawling to reach something, then turns around quickly and—

— _Oh._

She presses his knees apart and pins him with a soft, smoldering gaze.

“Did you find anything?” Barry says, but it’s practically a whisper as Lup’s hands go to his studded leather belt. She has it undone in a second, and makes a noncommittal noise while she unbuttons his pants. “Because I think, and uh, don’t get me wrong here, Lup, but I think you might have been making that up.”

Lup’s eyes twinkle. “I would _never_.” her voice reminds him of the gesture where she throws one arm over her forehead with that lovely dramatic flair, but instead she pulls down his zipper and presses a kiss to his stomach over his shirt. “I just forgot about my hair clip, is all.”

“Sure,” he says and rests a hand in her hair. It’s long and lustrous, and he loves it. His fingers wind through it as he makes a gentle fist against her scalp. “I’m not done copying this spell, you know.”

“I’m not stopping you.” She smiles and trails her lips over his underwear. Lup nuzzles into him. “But you’re also not stopping me.” Lup winks and mouths against him through his clothes. “And I think that you could use a treat for being so patient, don’t you?”

Barry shivers at the padded sensation, feeling himself lean into the arousal. The wet spot she leaves on his boxers is dark and cool against his skin, and he reaches down with his other hand to adjust them.

 

“Fine! Fine, have it your way,” he gasps out when Lup bats his hand away, pulls his head out from the slit in his underwear, and tongues at him with practiced ease. “You’re sure eager today, huh?”

“Can only sit still for so long, babe,” she quips, and her mouth is warm and hot as she takes the tip of him into her mouth, sucking softly and looking up at him, eyes wide and sparkling. She blinks, long and clear, and sinks down onto him until her nose touches his body.

Barry’s body surges upward against the back of her throat, knuckles going white on the arm of the chair and yanking Lup’s hair by reflex as his hips press forward. “Fuck,” he pants out when speech returns to him, “Fuck.”

Her ears lift with mirth.

“Stop laughing at me,” Barry chides, shuddering as she draws up.

“Who’s laughing?” she teases, licking at him like a treat and running her nails over the seams on his pants.

He tries to give her a level gaze and explain that after a century he knows her body language. No little ear twitch or pupil movement or hand signal gets past him, at this point.

Instead he moans and lets his head fall back as she goes down on him again. Her mouth is tight around him, and Barry’s grip on the back of her head tightens. It feels amazing, and his resentment over the long hours spent sitting decreases immediately.

She makes a noise around him at having her hair pulled, and Barry gasps out a ‘sorry,’ and moves to let go of her golden locks. He tries to be gentle with her, always, but it’s easy to get carried away when she comes on so strong.

Lup’s hand is over his in a second, though, and she looks up at him with his head between her lips. Wordlessly, she pushes on his hand, which pushes on her head, which pushes his dick back down her throat.

Barry’s silent for a moment, feeling his blush deepen and his breathing come in pants. He watches Lup’s eyes flutter shut and her brows knit together. She keeps her hand over his, pushing and pulling on her own hair, setting a slow, determined pace until he murmurs: “You like that, Lup? You want me to make you?” Testing, he rolls his hips up and pushes down on her head, and a breath surges out through her nose. Her free hand flutters at his hip. “Tap me once if that’s what you want.”

The hand at his hip gives him a clear pat on the leg.

Barry takes a deep breath and moves his other hand to join his first. Lup makes a small, desperate noise from between his legs. “Tap me twice if you need me to stop.”

Another single rap on the thigh drives Lup’s point home.

“Right, okay.” He’s having trouble thinking, if he’s honest, and knots his hands tight against Lup’s scalp before pulling her up and pushing her down again. He feels himself almost bottom out, and tries not to push further. She’s eager, but he doesn’t want to hurt her.

She drops her hand from his and pushes his jeans further open to give them more room. She’s still nuzzling into his shirt and boxers each time she takes him to the hilt, and the feeling of his clothes moving over his body is almost too much. They make him feel trapped, and they rub at his sensitive flesh.

Lup whines as he pulls her off, and Barry pushes the chair back to get some room and tug off his shirt. She follows him, crawling to resettle between his knees and pin him with that smouldering gaze. His blood boils at the look in her eyes as she slinks towards him.

“Stop being so delicate, Barry,” she murmurs, bringing a hand up to wrap around his shaft. It’s slick from before, and she talks through his gasp as her hand begins to move. “I want you to _make_ yourself feel good.” She strokes him, quick and deft, and grins a Cheshire smile. “It’s the least you deserve for being so patient.”

Her thumb flicks over the top of his cock, and he’s reeling. It doesn’t matter how much time passes, or how many times they play through this song and dance--she drives him crazy. “Are you sure, Lup?” His voice comes out small, punctuated by a sigh as she twists her wrist.

“I’ll stop you if I don’t like it,” she says, honest. “So yeah, I’m sure.” She brings her lips back down to him and kisses him, gently. “Been waiting on this for a while.”

She parts her lips around him, tongue darting out to tease, but she waits.

Waits as his hands thread back into her hair, waits as he tugs gently to get her to look at him, and waits as he takes a grounding breath.

And then he pushes, angling his hips up against her and letting a moan roll out of his throat. Lup threads her fingers through the belt loops of his jeans, and Barry sets a quicker pace. It’s not too fast to push him too close to the edge, but deep and hard and Lup’s flushing bright red and making moaning sounds between choked noises. He swears through a particularly hard thrust, and he can feel her flex around him, trying not to gag.

It feels amazing, and he moves his hands and hips in tandem, trying to fuck her with some restraint, but he can feel the control slipping with each drag of his cock against the roof of her mouth.

Barry’s shocked at his own lewdness when he realizes how much he wants to cum down her throat.

“Shit,” he swears, and yanks her backwards. Lup yelps as he drags her up, and up, and she stumbles onto her feet, bent forward over him by his fists in her hair. He’s kissing her as she falls forward, hands catching against his chest and knees knocking against the chair as he growls against her. “Okay, bedroom, now.”

The kiss deepens as she moans, long and heedy into his mouth, catching his bottom lip in a sharp tug after he speaks and right before she murmurs, voice hoarse: “I thought you weren’t done copying that spell, Babe?”

She’s prodding at him and he knows it, and a flash of clarity has him wondering if he’s going to bite. Lup sometimes likes things rougher than he’s willing to give them, but if she’s needling, teasing, baiting him into something—he feels his hand tighten in her hair.

Maybe, maybe he could play along.

“You’ve got such a pretty mouth, Lup.” He drops one hand from her hair and clasps two fingers under her chin. “Sharp, too.” He closes his eyes and kisses her. She kisses back with a happy hum.

“I wonder how you’ll like it if I fuck it until you can’t say a damn word?”

Her reaction is physical and immediate. Her body locks up around him and he hears her breathe in, sharp and surprised. When Barry does open his eyes, her pupils are blown, brown eyes brimming with lust.

“You think you have it in you?” Her words are still goading, but there’s an undercurrent of mindful concern that Barry appreciates. She doesn’t pull away, doesn’t try to get away from his hand in her hair or at his chin. Her next words come out with a hopeful lilt that makes Barry steel himself against uncertainty even as heat surges to his groin: “Think you can make me choke on your cock, babe?”

Discomfort nibbles at his thoughts, but _no_ , dammit, Barry shoves it aside. “I can try.” He swallows thickly. “If I don’t like it, I’ll stop.” He’s not sure if he’s talking to her or to himself, but the words help calm his heartbeat from anxious-fast back to aroused-fast. “If you don’t like it, what do you say?”

“Red.” Lup still doesn’t move an inch.

“And if you can’t talk?”

She gives his chest a clear tap-tap with her hand.

“Good,” he says, quieting his inhibitions and shrugging into a skin he rarely wears. He kisses her, sweet and soft, sucking at her bottom lip before he stands.

 

He still has one hand in her hair, and being a few inches shorter means her neck bends at an angle that doesn’t look too comfortable, but her ears twitch softly in that way they do when she’s turned on.

“Okay,” he says and takes another breath. “Come on.” Lup’s brows shoot up as he hesitates for just a second before pulling her along by the roots.

He expects her to maybe take a deep breath or mutter an ‘ouch’ or something, but the heady moan that bubbles out of Lup’s chest and tumbles into the space between them sends heat curling through him like flames.

They make it into the bedroom, and Barry moves her towards the bed before he changes his mind and pushes down, depositing her on her knees on the light wood floor. “Stay still,” he commands, and his voice only shakes a little bit as he draws his hand out of her hair.

With his hands free, he strokes himself slowly and rests the other against her face. He was close to finishing in the office, but now he’s invested in taking his time. Lup’s eyes close softly and she leans her head against his palm.

She makes a very pretty picture underneath him, long blonde hair framing her face and hands curling over her knees. Obvious beauty aside, Lup carries a sharp edge of sexual energy that wraps Barry around her finger. Right now the stage belongs to him, but he knows he’s going to make her feel good; he knows he’s going to devote his hands and mouth to her until she’s shuddering with relief against him, edge dulled.

He groans at the thought of getting her off, but embraces his limelight all the same. She’s still perched underneath him, eyes shut and mouth parted—inviting. The view makes him think, and the thoughts turn into softly mumbled words: “You want me to come on you? Want me to make a mess of that pretty little face?”

Lup doesn’t open her eyes, doesn't move except for the way her back straightens, shoulders pinned back. “Yes, Barry.”

Barry cuts off his gasp by digging his teeth into his lower lip. _Fuck_ , her voice is soft and airy and rasping. “Geeze,” he says, and immediately backpedals over his word choice: “I mean, shit, Lup, that’s filthy.”

She shivers and cracks one eye open at him. The look is bright and teasing even at half-strength, and he reaches forward to grab her. His other hand is still locked around his shaft, and he presses it against her lips as she opens her mouth around him.

Standing gives him much more room to move, and he threads both hands back into her hair with a sharp tug as she swallows around him again. It’s hot and wet and it feels _amazing_. “Feels so good, Lup.” He completes the thought out loud as she stops, but Barry doesn’t catch himself before his hips thrust forward for more of that slick heat.

One of Lup’s hands shoots up and presses against his hip, fighting against his thrust and spasming as she gags.

“Fuck, sorry,” Barry swears and draws back.

Then he looks down at her, and her eyelids flutter, her hips jolt, and her blush reaches the crest of her shoulder.

Barry barely keeps it together, fighting the want to drive his hips forward, fighting the want to make her choke and gasp and _fuck_ , he’s so close again.

A whispering thought occurs to him, ringing through his haze like the peal of a bell. They have a safe signal. He trusts Lup to know what she wants, and they have a safe signal.

Maybe—maybe this was okay. She says she wants this, wants him, and every deep thrust makes her weaker under him, makes her shiver and moan and _melt_.

He pulls her onto him again, resolve steeled, and her nose doesn’t just brush his skin but presses against him, and she makes a sputtering noise that materializes into a moan as he draws her back again.

Both of her hands rest against his hips, now, and she lets him fuck her, hard and quick, only applying a brush of pressure when he bottoms out.

“Lup, oh, Lup,” he moans, and it’s low and soft and doesn’t match remotely with how he snaps his hips forward. Barry feels her tongue lap against his base and that’s it, he’s done, and his hands pull hard in her hair and wrench her forward. He’s not thinking about anything but how good it feels as she swallows around him and he can _feel_ it as she finishes him off.

He stalls against her for a moment, buried deep, and he holds her tight against his shaking body before there’s a distinct _tap-tap_ on his hip that snaps him back into awareness. He pulls back, panting out a “Shit, shit, sorry.”

And Lup gasps in a breath, her eyes still closed. She sucks down air like it’s precious water in a desert for a few seconds, looking up at him with flushed cheeks and an open mouth glistening with wet. Then, Lup stands on shaking legs, and he drops his hands from her hair to her hips to help ground her. She throws her arms over his shoulders to pull him into a kiss.

It’s a _kiss_ : Lup’s tongue moves over his lips and he matches her fervor with a gasp, winding his arms around her waist to pull her closer, and she’s warm and panting against him. Her next words come out small. “Don’t apologize.”

She pitches them backwards against the bed and takes one of Barry’s hands in her own. “Don’t apologize for a fucking second, babe.”

Barry’s eyes widen as they flop onto the mattress and Lup presses their hands against the space between her legs. Her _pants_ are damp to the touch, and he hears himself go “ah.”

He rubs his hand against her as she pulls hers away to scoot up on the bed, and he follows her after a quick motion to tuck himself back into his jeans. “Alright, so that wasn’t too rough for either of us after all, huh?”

She rests her head on the pillow and spreads her legs, squirming already against his fingers working against her. Her voice comes out a little hoarse, and Barry flushes at hearing it. “Yeah, no problem-o, Babe.” Her hips cant up against him. “It was, it was really nice.”

Barry tugs down her harem pants and underwear at once, giving a fond hum of approval at the lacy little things as she wiggles a leg out of them. He presses his hand back against her and leans down to mouth at her collarbone and nip just above the collar of her shirt.

He doesn't bother to pull the rest of her clothing off as he presses two fingers into her.

One second she’s looking at him, pupils blown and lips parted, and the next her head lolls back, eyes closed.

Barry sets a hard pace, his palm meeting her hips with a jolt as he thrusts his fingers into her. _Come here_ , he thinks with a tinge of amusement, curling his fingers hard against her g-spot and rocking his wrist to press the pad of his thumb over her clit while he works.

She gasps and moans, saying something that might have been a marriage between his name and a swear as her hips roll against his hand.

He opts for unrelenting, smiling against her neck as he strains his wrist fucking her with his hand. She’s hot and wet and tight around him, and he only thinks for a second before adding a third finger and pushing _deep_ , pressing towards her navel and swiping his thumb over her clit in wide arcs.

“You want to come for me, love?” He drops his lips to her ear and licks a long streak up to its pointed tip before catching it between his teeth.

Her body shakes under him, legs spread and feet pressing against the mattress. Her ear is limp against his lips, and her nails scratch over his back. “Fuck, yes, Bear, please make me come.”

He’s a sucker for giving her what she wants, and he swirls his thumb over her clit and presses those fingers against her sweet spot, feeling her clench and shiver around him as he kisses her neck, sucking a mark into her delicate flesh.

The way his lips bring bruising color to her heated skin topples her over the edge, and he only has a second of hearing her whimper: “Barry, Barry, oh, fuck, _Barry_ ,” before her hips lurch down against him and she shouts, high-pitched and loud in the open space of their bedroom.

He loves feeling her lose it, her whole body lifting against him as her nails drag sharp lines down his back (and _fuck_ , that hurts, but it’s a good sting and he knows she’ll kiss them later and hum at him: ‘wings for my angel’). She’s tense and shivering as he pushes her through the climax, whispering, “You’re so good, Lup. So, _so_ good.”

He slows the pace of his fingers as she comes down, easing her against the mattress with a shower of kisses against her face. She catches his lips once and heaves a breath through her nose, spent.

Barry pulls away and snaps his fingers with a coy smile, cleaning them, before his hands find her shoulders and tug her against him.

She’s still got a shirt on, and her naked legs tangle with his jeans, but she giggles against him as she’s rolled into his embrace. “Barry!” she scolds as he smooshes her face into his chest and tosses a leg over her hip. She’s breathless but smiling as she lets him curl around her. “What am I supposed to do with my arms?”

They’re pinned between the two bodies, and Barry hums. “Here, hold on.” One of the trapped hands prods at him, and he lets her back for just a moment so she can thread one arm over his shoulder and situate the other against his chest. “Better?”

Lup nods, and Barry holds her close.

She feels so small like this, her hair smelling faintly of delicate flowers and her body nestled into him. “That was really nice.”

“Mmmmh.” She hums in agreement. “You always make me feel so good, Bear.”

“I try.” Barry kisses the top of her head and feels her thigh shift between his knees. “Glad I could deliver,” he lilts, letting her praise go right to his ego.

They bask for a while, occasional banter breaking out: “How long are we going to leave that single marble down there, anyway?” “I—I gotta say, Lup, I am in no rush to pick it up, now.” “Oh my God.”

Eventually Barry draws away. “Okay, I’m gonna go finish that spellwork.” Kissing her, he offers a consolation for his removal from the embrace. “I’ll also make some tea, want me to bring you a cup?”

“Nah,” she says, waving a hand at him and rolling to her feet next to him. “You do your spooky spell stuff, babe; I think I’ll crack into that copy of ‘Logical Chess’ that Mamma Bird gave me for a reason.” She opens one palm and brings the other hand down into it in a tight fist. The fire from earlier returns to her eyes. “He’s only got a couple of centuries of a head start. I can beat him.”

Barry laughs gently and stands, wandering to grab an old and well-loved long sleeved shirt from the dresser. “Better get to work, then.” Barry passes in front of her on his way out of the bedroom, and kisses her forehead gently.

He still brings a cup of tea to where she curls up on the living room couch in a big blanket some minutes later, brows furrowed with intense focus on her book.

“Love you, Lup.” He gives her a half-hug and a kiss on the cheek as he lowers the cup to the small table next to her.

She looks up at him with a kind smile. “I love you too, Barry.” She underlines something before tucking the pen behind her ear. “I’ll give you a shout when dinner’s in the works, okay?”

He hums through a sip of hot tea. “I’ll just bring my book down, actually. I, uh, I got the hard parts done upstairs.” She scoffs at him, mumbling ‘hard part, right,’ to herself as he turns to get the book.

It only takes a minute for him to pad back to the office and retrieve his spellbook, but when he makes it back to the living room Lup is lost to her reading again, eyes flicking over the pages with the rapid ease they all developed over the decades. He picks her feet up and sits down, resettling her legs across his lap and taking some of her blanket.

They rest in relative silence, Lup occasionally humming excitedly at her book and Barry occasionally holding up his hands and mumbling through variants of specific words to see how they play with the red magic sparking between his fingers.

“Hey babe,” she mumbles eventually, snapping him out of his reprieve.

“Wanna play a game of chess?”


End file.
